Mylapore is one of the oldest settlements and now a bustling residential and commercial area in downtown
Chennai. It is located about 3 km south of Triplicane and around the same distance to the east of
Kodambakkam.
Guindy is 4 km south-west.
The place got the name from the Sanskrit word 'Mayur Puri', which was once the name of Mylapore. From the Tamil word Mailapur (town of peacocks), the Greeks called it Maliarpha, the Portuguese Meliapor, and later the English Mylapore. Mylapore, the religious and cultural epicenter of the Tamil people, has a history that pre-dates the city of Chennai by several thousand years. At Mylapore, Goddess Parvati is believed to have taken the form of 'Mayuram' or 'Mayil' (peacock) and worshipped Shiva. It was here that St Thomas, the first apostle to India, was martyred on July 3, 72 AD while praying in a mountain cave. His tomb and church are also here.
While Historians say that Mylapore has had settlements since over 1000 years, even pre-dating the history of Chennai, and Ptolemy and Marco Polo had visited this part of the city in the medieval times, the present day Mylapore presents a different picture altogether - that of a teeming business center in Chennai dotted with plush apartments, wide roads and the most happening centers of today, IT companies. Educational institutions, banks, hotels and easy access to other parts of the city has attributed to its growth as a major commercial and residential center in the city.
The city is also associated with the Tamil saint Thiruvalluvar who composed the great Tamil work Thirukkural. There is also a temple dedicated to him here.
New Woodlands is a top end hotel located at Mylapore. Madras Music Academy, Life Style Mall, ICICI Bank, Nageswara Park and Coastline Restaurant are the major landmarks of Mylapore.
St Thomas Tomb, Sai Baba Temple, Ramakrishna Mutt and the Kapaleeshwarar Temple are some holy sites with historical importance located at Mylapore.
Chennai International Airport is about 14 km south-west. Mambalam Railway Station is the nearest metro railway station. Chennai Central Railway Station is around 7 km from Mylapore.
